Navigable vessel



Oct. 21, 1941. E ER 2,259,438

NAVIGABLE VESSEL Filed Jar 4, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

W fl mq ATTORNEY.

PC9148 1 392 16 7 19 41 H AZZINVENTO'R. Y 6( 1,540

ATTORNEY.

Oct. 21, 1941. E L E Q 2,259,438

NAVIGABLE' VESSEL Filed Jan. 4, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Oct. 21, 1941 Application January 4, 1938, Serial No. 183,278 In Switzerland January 4', 1937 2' Claims. (.01. 115-19)" This invention relates to marine vessels and more particularly to vessels sustained by or propelled by rotatable floating members.

Marine vessels heretofore proposed have been unable to move at an appreciable speed without displacing a considerable quantity of water with anaccompanying loss of energy.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a novel marine vessel which can be propelled with a minimum loss of energy.

Another object is to provide a novel marine vessel which ofiers a minimum resistance to the water.

A further object is to provide a novel marine vessel which is propelled by rotatable cylindrical or spherical members having paddles thereon.

An additional object is to provide a novel propeller for a marine vessel.

A still further object is to provide novel means for sustaining a marine vessel.

Another object is to provide novel means for stabilizing. a marine vessel.

An additional object is to providea novel vessel which can economically attain high: velocity.

The above and further objects and novel features will more fully appear from the following detailed description when the same is read in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only and are not intended as adefinition of the limits of the invention, reference for this latter purpose being had to the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views; a

.Fig. 1 is aside elevation-of one embodiment of the. invention;

Fig. 2 is a top elevation of the embodiment showninFial;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a second embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 4 is aside elevation of a third embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 5 is atop elevation of the embodiment shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a front elevation, partly in section, of one form of float orpropeller member employed in the invention;

Fig. '7 is a sectional View along line |2I2 of the member shown in Fig. 6.;

Fig. 8 is a View of the member shown in Figs. 6 and '7, in an operating position;

Fig. 9 is a front elevation of a second form of u float or propeller member;

Fig. 10 is a bottom View of the embodiment shown in; Fig. 3;

Fig. 11 is a side elevation, partly insection, of a third form of float or propeller member;

Fig. 12 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a fourth form of a float member;

Fig. 13 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a fifth form of a float member; V

Fig. 14 is a bottom view of a fourth embodi- Il ment of the invention;

1 Fig. 15' is a detailed view of aportion of the member shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 16 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a sixth form of float or propeller member; and,

Fig. 1'7 is a simplified perspective view of the sixth form of the float member.

The form of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, by way of example, is a marine vessel which is supported by floating members which are rotatable in relation to the hull or the body of the vessel. Each of these members is constituted by a hollow drum or central portion comprising the float proper which is airand water-tight and rotatably mounted upon a suit.- able shaft attached to said hull. In turn there are mounted upon the central drum a series of plates or vanes which may extend radially therefrom, or be disposed at an angle relative thereto. The vanes are held in position by side plates or discs which are perpendicular to the axis of rotation. The combination of discs and vanes forms about said central float portion a series of compartments which are open at the outer end but are otherwise airand water-tight. The floating members may be free to rotate or they may be drivably connected to power means. Upon rotation of a floating member, a number of the compartments are submerged, water flows therein but is prevented from filling same because of the imprisoned air which is compressed as the compartment progresses to its greatest depth and progressively decompressed as the compartment emerges. This compression and decompression produces components the resultants of which are substantially vertical and tend to lift the vessel out of the water.

In the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the novel marine vessel is constituted by a frame or chassis 2., not necessarily of Water-tight construction, having at either extremity thereof a rotatable float member I, mounted upon suitable extensions 211 (Fig. 6). The chassis is supported completely above water. Suitable streamlined housings 3 are provided for the rotatable members which serve as fenders for protecting occupants of the boat from splashing water. Chassis 2 is provided, for example, with a seating arrangement for several oarsmen 5 who can row the vessel by means of oars 4.

Each of the floats I, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, is constituted by a central drum or tubular portion Ia of water-tight construction, having suitable central bearing surfaces for mounting the float upon a shaft I8 (Fig. 6). The drum Ia. however may be for example spherical or any suitable shape instead of tubular. The dimensions of each float are calculated such that the float displaces a Weight of water equal to its own weight plus the part of the weight of the structure which it sustains. To the tubular portion la are attached, for example by welding, a series of transverse, outwardly-extending blades Ic which are preferably spaced at equal intervals from one another.

er than 40. Lateral plates or discs Id cover the sides of the floats and serve also as reinforcing members in cooperation with discs Ie which are mounted at intermediate points along the axis of the tubular member la. The radially extending blades and the lateral discs form a series of compartments having water-tight. bulkheads, the compartments being in the form of cylindrical sectors closed at the'inner face but open at the outer face. The blades Ic. may extend beyond the lateral plates Id in a manner to provide external vanes, referred to as Ig (Figs. 11 and 16) which are necessary to grip the water when the vessel lifts itself partly out of the Water in a manner to appear later. The lateral plates may be in the shape of ratchets having a series of teeth Ir along the edges thereof (Figs. 11, 16 and 17) the vanes extending to the extremities of said teeth, i. e. to the addendum circle of the ratchets. This arrangement prevents the air from escaping from the compartments as the vanes enter the water. g

a In the formshown in Fig. 17, in the interest of clarity, the float member has been subdivided into a relatively small number of compartments, the normal number being, as above mentioned,-preferably greater than 40.

In Fig. 9 a second form of rotatable float is illustrated being similar to that shown in Figs. 6 and 7 with the exception that the vanes or blades If are staggered in groups between the lateral plates Id.

The blades, instead of extending radially, as shown in Figs. 6 to 9, may extend tangentially from the central tubular member Ia as represented by blades Ii of Fig. 12; or as shown in Fig. 13 the blades Ih may be curved but arranged so that tangents to the blades at the tubular member areperpendicular to said member. enlarged. perspective view of a comparte ment of one of the floats is shown in Fig. 15 wherein, in order to reduce the hydrodynamic resistance, it is seen that the lateral plates Ie and the blades Io terminates in cutting edges or wedgeeshaped edges 22] and 23, respectively. These edges however may be rounded instead of sharp. The lateral plates and transverse blades maybe made" thinner as the number of com partments is increased.

The tubular drum as well as the side plates and:

theblades may beconstructed ofsheet steel, iron, aluminum, or ,of anon-metallic substance such as Bakelitejor pressedcambric.

'In'operatioriof'the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2, the oarsmen propel the vessel by the oars The number of blades Ic may be, for examples, 20 to 40, but is preferably great-" alone and do not directly rotate the floats I, I. As the craft moves through the water, the floats are caused to rotate whereby the horizontal component of the circumferential speed thereof tends to equal and cancel the relative horizontal speed of the water provided that a certain amount of water is carried to the rear, i. e. the rotation of the floats in the manner of wheels reduces the friction of the water in contact therewith. The hydrodynamic resistance is a function not only of the submerged volume of the float but also of the. angle of approach of the compartments, the resistance becoming less as the point of entry of blades Ic approaches the, vertical plane through the axis of rotation. The speed of rotation of the floats, when the vessel is propelled in this manner, is a direct function of the speed of the vessel and is such that the float is subject to a minimum resistance. As the float rotates, water enters the compartments but due to the air imprisoned therein is unable to flll the same. The water is therefore forced downward compressing the air in thecompartments forward of the center of the float until the compartments are at their greatest depth; as the compartments emerge the air is decompressed providing an upward thrust upon the float. The pressure of the water compressing the air' in the forward compartments as they are submerged, acting in combination with the thrust of the air in the after compartments as they emerge, produces a resultant thrust which lifts the vessel out of the water an amount which is a function of the speed, thus reducing the hydrodynamic resistance and permitting a high speed with a relatively small expenditure of energy.

As the amount of water which the floats displace diminishes, so will the buoyancy diminish. However, as the speed of the craft increases, the upward thrust, due to the compression and decompression of the air in the compartments, increases. The amount which the floats and hence the vessel is lifted out of .the water depends upon the balance between said diminished buoyancy and said upward thrust. This is illustrated in Fig. 8 wherein the water line, when at rest, is illustrated by line I6, the float having emerged as shown when the vessel is at a speed V.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 3 and 10, a vessel having a frame 8 is supported in the water by a plurality of floats I, the number of floats varying preferably from 8 to 60 and to bear a relation to certainstructural characteristics in a maner to later appear. The floats are arranged for example in four groups of five, two groups on either side extending fore and aft. The vessel may be, for example, 645 tons, and the number of floats determined by a condition which requires that each float besubmerged, for example, 1.5 meters, the diameter of the floats being 6 meters. Thus each float is submerged up to one-half of its radius. The floats are operatively connected to a motor I4, for example, by means of link chains I4a which mesh with toothed wheels Mb (Fig. 6) rigidly mounted upon shafts I8. Suitable clutch means (not'shown) maybe provided for rotating any toward which it is desired to turn, or a course.

change may be made by causing the craftto list in the direction of the desired turnQ I-Jisting the craft will cause the floats upon the low side to meet with greater resistance than tun u -on theyhigh side, consequently a turning moment will be'produce'd' in that direction; eans are provided for listing the craft comprising a weight l which is shiftable athwartship upon rods 20, 20. Suitable means (n'ot shown) are provided for positioning the weight at any predetermined pointu'pon said rods. This arrangement may be used not only for turning the vessel but also for compensating for the effect of winds which cause the vessel tolist.

The shafts upon which the floats are rotatably mounted may be attached to the frame or hull portion of the craft by suitable yielding means, for example, resilient arms 25 (Fig. 14), floats 2| of which are to be later described. Arms 25 allow the floats to follow the movements of the waves whereby the vessel remains substantially stable, thus avoiding a sudden submersion or emersion of the floats which would occur if said floats were mounted upon shafts rigidly attached to the vessel.

In the operation of this embodiment, the power means rotates the floats. A circumferential speed of the floats is obtained which is higher than the speed of the vessel whereby a point upon one of the blades le describes a looped trochoid.

The small volume of water initially within the compartments of the floats when at rest is sufficient to enable the float to grip the water and to produce a forward thrust which becomes of sufi'icient magnitude to move the craft when a large enough quantity of water is forced aft by the action of the blades of said compartments. If, however, the quantity of water forced aft is one-half the total volume displaced by the float, there will be no forward thrust but only a vertical thrust. The volume of water actually displaced is less in front of the axis of the float than to the rear of the axis (Fig. 8). This has two effects, namely, that a turning moment is applied tending to rotate the float in cooperation with the power means, and that a forward thrust is applied which compensates for the horizontal thrust to the rear caused by air in the forward compartments. As the air is compressed in the forward compartments, 1

which are progressively submerged, and as the air expands in the compartments which are emerging, a vertical resultant thrust is produced which is a function of the crafts speed and which tends to lift the vessel out of the water. 7

The craft therefore moves forward over the water with a skimming motion.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 4 and 5, a sailing vessel having sails I0 and a mast II is supported in the water by floats l, of the type above described. Instead of employing a keel to stabilize the craft, a pair of rotatable floats la mounted upon suitable outriggers or brackets l2 on each side thereof may be used. The floats la are also of the type above described and are so suspended by said outriggers that the lowermost surfaces thereof are flush with the water when the vessel is upon an even keel.

The operation of the floats in this embodiment is similar to that of the first embodiment.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 14, a craft is mounted upon rotatable floats 2 I, having a compartmented construction as in the first embodiment, but instead of being cylindrical in shape are spherical.

, The-operation of this embodiment is similar to theflrst embodiment. v

The dimensions of each of the above described float members, in particular the diameters of the central drum or tubular portions, are determined by the tonnage of the craft, the number of floats employed, and the power available. From these quantities, there is also determined the angle subtended at the center of the float by the portion thereof which is submerged at a given speed. From this angle may be calculated the supporting surface and the pressure which is necessary to support the vessel, and also the volume which the compartments must have in drder th'atthe water level therein may be at the proper poihhi; e; at a point necessary to balance the weight of the vessel, which point should be eerow the chord of the above-mentioned angle.

The diameter of the central drum is a function of the weight of the hull which the drum aids in supporting. For example, where two floats are employed, as in Fig. 1, if the craft weighs approximately one metric ton, the drum diameter will be approximately 60% of the over-all diameter. For a vessel weighing 565 tons having 20 floats, the drum diameter would be approximately of the over-all diameter. For a vessel of 80,000 tons having 8 floats of 40 meters in diameter, the drum diameter would comprise about 93% of the over-all diameter.

The ratio of the length (L) to the diameter (D) of the cylindrical float may be determined by the following formula:

M=mass of vessel in metric tons W=available power in kilowatts A=a coefficient between 10 and 20 B=a coefficient between 300 and 500 N=the number of floats where There is thus provided a novel marine vessel having a minimum hydrodynamic resistance. The craft may be propelled at high speeds with a relatively small expenditure of energy by means of rotatabl float members which are adaptable for supporting vessels of any size or description, said floats acting to grip the water and to lift the vessel out of the Water to produce a skimming motion and to reduce said hydrodynamic resistance as a function of the speed.

Although only three embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described in detail, it is to be expressly understood that the same is not limited thereto. Various changes may also be made in the design and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as the same will now be understood by those skilled in the art. For a definition of the limits of the invention, reference will be had primarily to the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a vehicle of the class described, a hull, float members rotatably mounted upon the hull, and power means operatively connected to said floats, each float member comprising a central drum, lateral ratchet plates mounted upon said member, the ratchet plates being; of greater diameter than that of the drum, and a plurality of blade members secured to said drum between said ratchet plates, said drums, lateral plates, andblade-members forming peripheral compartments of a predetermined'depth in which air is compressible by water to support the floats and hull. p

2. The combination with a vehicle body of float members rotatably mounted upon said body, and power means operatively connected to the float members, each of the latter members being constituted by a central drum, forty or more blade members secured to said drum, and lateral ratchet plates mounte d upon said drum having a number of teeth corresponding to the number of said blade members, the radius of each drum being less than the radius of said plates measured to the bottom of an indentation upon the periphery of said plates, the drums, plates and blade members forming peripheral compartments of a predetermined depth in which air is compressible by Water to support the float members and body.

3. The combination with a vehicle body of float members rotatably mounted upon said body, and power means operatively connected to the float members, each of the latter members being constituted by a central drum, forty or more blade members secured to said drum, and toothed side plates secured to the drum, said blade members extending radially from the drum between. said side plates to the extremities of the side plate teeth, the radius of each drum being less than the radius of said plates measured to the bottom of an indentation upon the periphery of the plates, the drums, plates and blade members forming peripheral compartments of a predetermined depth in which air is compressible by water to support said body.

.EDMOND DEGALLIER, 

